Amusement device



July 11, '1939- A. H. BLAND 2,165,743

Patented July 11, 1939 vUNITEDsm'rrs PATENT ori-ICE N Arthur Henry Bland, Wembley, England Application May 11, 1937, Serial No. 142,034

In Great Britain December 30, 1936 Y 1 Claim. (Cl. 191-13) This invention relates to tracks having conbeneath the floor. Intermediate and spaced from ductors over which electrically propelled veeach positive and negative conductive strip may hicles are adapted to travel for amusement purbe provided uncovered wooden boards or strips of poses. insulating material 4 so arranged that the upper An object of the invention is to provide an surfaces thereof lie in the same plane as the Vl5 improved construction and `arrangement of the upper surfaces of the conductive strips 2b, 3a, track'so that water may readily drain away from etc., vthus providing a substantially flush track the surface of the track. surface. i

`Another object of the invention resides in a The vehicle illustrated adapted for propulsion track structure wherein the conducting strips along the track includes a chassis, the frame of 10 are arranged substantially in the same plane and which is denoted as 5, mounted on front and rear having non-conducting strips arranged interaxles 6 and 'I carried by the Wheels of the vemediate of the conductors sor that the upper surhicle. Mounted on the chassis frame 5, prefface of all of the members forming the track erably at the rear thereof, and in driving conl will be in substantially the same plane. nection with the rear axle 'I through sprockets 8 15 A more specific object of the invention reand 9 and a chain I0 or other driving means, is sides in providing the conducting strips with an electric motor II, which may be a series turned down edges to allow water to drain readily wound motor. from the surfaces of the conducting strips. For supplying current to the motor II from the The invention is illustrated in the accompanytrack, there are mounted on the chassis resilient 20 ing drawing by way of example, Fig. l being members I2 and I3 to the lower ends of which a diagrammatic view, partly in section, of the are rigidly attached brushes I4 and I5 adapted chassis of an electrically propelled vehicle having for sliding contact with the conductive strips 2h, means permitting of electric current for motive 2d and 3a, 3c, 3e constituting the track, purposes being supplied from the track on which the contact members being spaced so that the 25 the vehicle travels. Fig. 2 is a section through a mid points of the brushes are a distance apart part of the track illustrating the mode oi conequivalent to the distance between the mid points necting a conductor with conductive strips of the of adjacent positive and negative conductive track. strips The brushes I4 and I5 are of a Width Referring to the drawing, I denotes collectively slightly less than the width of the non-conductive 30 a track constructed according to the invention strips 4 so that a brush will not contact with adand adapted to supply electric current to a vejacent conductive strips and result in short-cirhicle adapted for propulsion along the track. cuiting.

As shown, the track is built of spaced floor The contact members I2 and I3 are connected boards d, bl, c, d, e covered with spaced with the steering mechanism of the vehicle in 35 strips of suitable conducting material. Assuming such manner that on turning of the steering that a direct current supply is employed, alterwheel the contact members sweep the fioor benate strips may be used to supply positive curneath the vehicle, so that, in the event of loss rent and intermediate strips to provide return of contact of the contact members with the con- 40 paths. The strips 2U, 2d are for instance ductive strips of which the floor is composed 40 conducting strips supplying, say, positive current, contact may be restored by turning the steering and for that purpose are connected to a suitable Wheel.

electric supply means, While the strips 3a, 3c, 3e With this object in view, the steering shaft I6,

. are conductive strips providing a return to which is secured the usual steering wheel I'I path. The strips may be connected with an alteris rotatably mounted in a socket member I8 45 nating current supply. rigidly attached to a cross member I9 of the To prevent short clrcuiting occurring due to vehicle chassis, and intermediate the ends of Water collecting on the surface of the track, the steering shaft is mounted a collar 20 integral for instance, when the track is erected in the with an arm 2l to which is pivotally attached a 5o open air and not protected by overhead awnings, drag link pivoted 60 a blaCkf-Il 22 0n a Steering 60 the conducting strips are suitably bent down.- arm 23. To the tie rod 24, connecting the steerwardly along their respective margins, any water ing arms 23, is attached a depending pin 25 which falling on the track thus being allowed to drain extends freely through a hole in an arm 26, which,

away to suitable channels which may be provided as shown in Fig. 1, is pivoted at 2B to a cross beneath the iioor or directly on to the ground member 2l of the chassis frame, said cross mem- 55 ber 21 being separate from the cross member I9 on which the steering rod or shaft is mounted. As will be seen, displacement of the steering arms 23, due to the turning of the steering Wheel I1, in` addition to moving the front wheels of the vehicle, moves the plate 29 laterally in a curved path. Thus, on a pivotal movement of the arm 26 about its pivot 28, due to a turning of the steering wheel, the brushes I4 and I5 swing laterally in a curved path across the conductive strips of the track, the movement of said brushes being of greater extent than the movement of the tie rod 24. This greater movement of the brushes I4 and I5 is due to the fact that the brushes are located much further from the pivotal point 28 than the operating pin 25 moving with the rod 24.

As will be understood, the bevelling of the edges of the conductive strips, as already described, in addition to providing means for rapid draining of Water from the track, serves also for ease in movement of the brushes attached to the contact members over the conductive strips and prevents the brushes being caught in the spaces between the strips.

Running beneath and transversely of the track to connect alternative conductive strips are conductors part of one of which is illustrated in Fig. 2. As shown, the conductor is in the form of a metal strip 36 and is connected to alternate conductor arms 31, bolted to the conductor 36 and lapped under the conductive strips, the conductive strips and the underlapping portion of the conductor arms being screwed down 0n to the supporting floor boards w, b.

In the use of a track such as illustrated several vehicles may be employed according to the dimensions of the track.

It Will be appreciated that a track according to the invention can be constructed for erection on any ground space of adequate size, while also the track can be a permanent or a portable structure and provided with fittings such as awnings which are usual in amusement devices of this nature.

I claim:

A track for an amusement device of the kind specified comprising spaced-apart electrically conducting strips and non-conducting strips spaced apart from and interposed between said conducting strips, said conducting strips having turned-down edges to allow water to drain readily from the surfaces of said strips into the spaces separating conductive and non-conductive strips and the tops of said conductive and said nonconductive strips lying substantially in the same plane.

ARTHUR HENRY BLAND. 

